Sooo.... I've been trying to bond Mimzy and Pip for almost half a year now. For awhile they were getting along really well, seemed to enjoy each other's company, etc.

Due to various reasons, they haven't been able to be out in their xpen as much as I'd like them too. And as a result, we are having more 'dominance' behavior between them each time they do get together.

I still have nowhere to put them so they are together all the time. And now, with how domineering Pip is being with Mimzy (I watched in horror as she mounted him yesterday and then simply continued to sit on him, flattening him and holding so far down I thought he was going to suffocate!) I am not sure I want them to be left alone together in an xpen at all.

Can bunnies learn to like each other, and then stop? Mimzy doesn't seem to enjoy being anywhere near Pippi anymore, although he still expects a grooming when they meet...but since they don't get together all the time anymore, they're having poop wars and humping battles and-although only a little fur has flown, I am just not sure they are going to bond.

Is it too late to bring them back to each other? If so, is this going to shorten either of their lives or affect their overall health?

MarkBunRichmond, CA

2834 posts

8/11/2008 11:49 AM

Yes, even bonded buns can become unbonded due to seperation. But you can always start over again.

As for shortening lives/overall health - I look at it like this. If the stress of bonding causes the bun's life to 'shorten' and having them bonded causes their lives to 'lengthen', it all comes out even in the end - although they now have each other as pals.

Well each time you put them together after they are apart she may continue the humping. Is he trying to escape or is he okay with the mounting? I've seen alot of rabbits just sit and take the mounting - they are fine with it and there aren't any scuffles just mounting.

MimzMumSouthwest Oregon

8053 posts

8/11/2008 6:26 PM

I see your point, Markus. That makes sense. ^_^

Yes, Sarita, he just sits there. And sometimes they kind of scuffle a bit and shift around the pen area. I only move Pip if she's crushing his head...as she tends to do her thing at the wrong end. And I don't want her to get nipped in the privates, that would really hurt! ;_; I've seen both of them take the wrong position. Drives me nuts. WHY do they DO that??

Now sometimes he is the one doing the mounting, but last time there were tufts of fur flying, so I didn't continue the together time much longer after that. I don't want to have to take them in to be stitched up.

I guess if they're not killing each other, it's okay to continue, yes?

Sarita(Dallas)

18870 posts

8/12/2008 4:23 AM

I think as long as they aren't fighting it is okay. I think if the humping bothers either of them they will let the other one know.

I agree with you though the humping is annoying to me, but I'm not a bunny.

MarkBunRichmond, CA

2834 posts

8/12/2008 1:49 PM

Yeah, it's safe to continue. I still find a tuft of Dono every so often.

Yes - I agree with Markusdark and Sarita, I say keep pushing forward. Especially if Mimzi is handling the mounting OK, eventually Pip will feel secure in his dominance and probably not mount as frequently. He may just be super excited to see her

When I first introduced one of my bonded pairs, the boy mounted her for forEVER, he would start at ther bum and mount and hump all the way up and over and then turn around and hump from her head back down to her bum. But she handled it well, and did not fight back, and now they are a very sweet loving little bunny couple. I haven't seen him mount her outside of those first two months.

kimberleyanddarrenBirmingham, UK

2557 posts

8/17/2008 2:30 AM

i think a good idea would be to have two houses so that if they cant be in the x-pen together they can at least get each others smells by a) putting the cages next to each other and b) switching each other round every other day or whenever i do still catch hopscotch humping daxter occasionally but it seems to be more of a playing thing than dominance? as neither seems to mind and they both do binkies right afterwards? keep us posted!